THE DUCK NEVER BLINKS

Despite the best efforts of the narrator—and readers—the titular duck just won’t blink.

Like Mo Willems’ Pigeon books, this tale plays effectively with narrator-reader dynamics. Speaking directly to children, Latimer opens with, “You see that DUCK over there? I’ve been watching that duck all day and it hasn’t blinked.” The narrator proceeds to suggest ideas for getting the duck’s eyelids to move: shouting, telling a sad story, sharing a joke. Nothing works, of course, until the narrator heads home for a nap and the duck finally closes its eyes. The delighted squeals of children will ring out as this book is read aloud; little ones are sure to love being in on the fun of trying to make the duck blink—and catching it in the act. The duck is the only thing we see in the book, its eyes wide, almost googly circles with pinprick pupils. It sheds a tear and cracks a smile, and though there’s nothing else to look at, the duck is nevertheless captivating. A well-done tight grid across two pages shows the duck in each rectangle, unblinking, unmoving, even as night turns to day and a leaf fluttering past nods at seasons changing. This will undoubtedly be a fun read-aloud for a lap-sitting child or a room full of preschoolers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Simple and effective, sure to elicit glee.